Christmas Shoes
by Motormouse
Summary: Regina goes shopping for a Secret Santa gift and meets a little boy shopping for his mother. Part 1 of my AU OOC song!fic (Christmas Shoes by Newsong) (Discontinued)


**Authors Note: **So this happened...

* * *

_**Sir I wanna buy these shoes**_

_**For my mama please**_

_**It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size**_

Regina was not normally one to do a large amount of Christmas shopping, she didn't really have anyone to shop for, but this year the town was doing a Secret Santa gift exchange for everyone who signed up. She didn't really have a choice, being the mayor she had an image to protect. She had gotten Katheryn Nolan's name out of the small bowl of names and had found herself at a loss about what to get. Storybrooke didn't really have a lot of places to shop so she decided to go for a drive, needing some time away from her town anyway.

She drove almost on auto-pilot and was surprised when she found herself in Boston. That was a tad farther than she had meant to go but at least she could shop here. It was almost 6:00 when she found a small shoe shop with a beautiful pair of black boots in the window. They seemed like something Katheryn would wear so she found a place to park and hopped out of her car, hugging her coat tightly to her.

She realized after she entered the store that she didn't know Kathryn's shoe size. She could always guess but if they didn't fit it would be a waste of money. She was about to turn and go when a nice pair of 'fuck-me' heels jumped out at her. She just couldn't resist and had to buy them.

Everyone was busy this close to Christmas so she wasn't surprised to find the line to be quite long. She sighed and stood behind a little boy who was shifting from foot to foot anxiously. He looked to be about ten and had mussed sandy-brown hair. He shifted around, looking towards the front of the line, no doubt to see if he was any closer to getting out of this line. He pulled an expensive looking watch from his pocket and the time seemed to make him even more fidgety.

"Are you alright?" Regina couldn't stop herself from asking, his anxiousness was stressing her out. The boy startled and turned to her.

"Uh, yeah, I'm just in a hurry. I've got to get back to my mom."

"Is she shopping as well?" The boy shook his head and a sad look crossed his eyes.

"No she's at home." To Regina he seemed too young to be out at this time by himself. "She doesn't really get out much lately."

"Why's that?" Regina didn't know why she was asking, she shouldn't be bothering this boy and the questions just seemed to make him sad, but something about him had her curious.

"Well...uh...she's been si-"

"Next." The cashier called to get their attention. The boy turned from her and placed his box up on the counter.

The cashier scanned his box and then reached for Regina's, assuming he was there with her.

****"We aren't together." She said and the cashier apologized and told the boy the total. He pulled a small wad of bills out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. The cashier counted it out and then frowned.

"I'm sorry but there isn't enough here." The look on his face almost broke Regina's heart.

_**Could you hurry sir**_

_**Daddy says there's not much time**_

****

"But there has to be." The cashier gave him a sad smile. "But I have to get these for my mom. She'll like them, they'll make her smile. I want to see her smile. She's been so sick and she just doesn't smile anymore and maybe these can help her so I have to buy them!" It clicked for Regina then, the sad looks.

"I'm sorry, I truly am, but I can't sell you the-"

"I'll pay for them." Regina cut in, surprising herself. She wasn't normally one for helping people.

"You will?" He looked so shocked and happy at the same time that Regina knew this was the right thing to do. She nodded and his smile grew. "Thank you so much Miss..."

"Regina. You can just call me Regina."

"Thank you Regina, you can call me Henry." The name almost made her smile at thoughts of her father.

"That's a very nice name." Regina paid for both of their shoes and they exited the store together. "Do you live close by?"

"Not really, I had to take the bus to get here." Regina looked around. It was dark out and she just couldn't bring herself to let him go without knowing if he'd be safe.

"I could give you a ride home, if you want?" Henry studied her for a bit, possibly trying to make sure she's not a kidnapper, before smiling.

"That would be nice, thank you." He was very polite for his age. They made their way to Regina's car and she waited for him to buckle up before pulling away from the curb.

"I don't know my way around here so you'll have to give me directions." He nodded and opened the box on his lap, admiring the shoes. After about ten minutes he pointed to an apartment building and Regina parked.

****"Will you come up with me?" Regina hesitated but finally agreed and climbed out of her car. Regina wasn't the biggest fan of elevators so she was happy when Henry pushed a button relatively close to the bottom.

They stopped in front of his door and Henry was fishing out his key when the door opened. A pale blonde woman looked briefly at Regina before turning down to Henry. She seemed to sigh in relief and pulled him into a hug.

"I was so worried about you." Was mumbled into his hair before she pulled back and, somewhat shakily, straightened and looked at Regina.

"Hi, I don't believe we've met. I'm Emma Swan, Henry's mother." What a lovely name.

"I'm Regina Mills. I was just doing some shopping when I met Henry and offered him a ride home. It seemed a bit late for him to be out alone." Emma stared at her for a moment and Regina found herself distracted by her beautiful eyes.

"Thank you, that was very kind of you."

"It was no problem at all." Henry looked up at them both with a questioning look.

"Can Regina come in for some cocoa? As a thank you?" He asked hopefully. Emma looked down at him and just couldn't say no.

"Sure, if Regina wants to come in?" They both turned to Regina and she found it almost impossible to say no.

Emma told Henry he needed to clean up his room if she was going to let him have the sweet drink this late and he hurried off and left them both in the small kitchen. Emma offered Regina a seat at the breakfast bar and started to make the hot chocolate.

"Do you live around here?" Emma attempted at small talk.

"No, actually, I live in a small town in Maine. I just came up here to do some Christmas shopping, though I didn't find the gift I need." Regina frowned, just realizing that now. "Do you know of any good hotels close by?" There was no point driving home empty handed this late at night. She could just stay and try finding Katheryn a gift in the morning.

"Yeah there are a few, I could have Henry print you off a... um... a..." Regina's eyes grew wide when she noticed how the other woman swayed slightly and gripped the counter tightly.

_**You see,**_

_**She's been sick for quite a while**_

"Are you alright, Miss Swan?" Regina stood and walked around the island, fearing that the woman might fall.

"I just... need to... sit." Regina carefully helped the woman to a chair. Emma was rubbing her temples and taking deep breaths. "It'll pass." She whispered when she noticed Regina's somewhat frightened gaze.

After a couple of minutes Emma looked up at her and gave her a small, barely-there smile.

"Sorry about that." She looked slightly embarrassed.

"Don't be." Henry came back then and one look at his mom told him all he needed to know. He was at her side in an instant.

"Are you okay? Do you need a pill? Do you need to go lay down? Do you feel nauseous? Need a bucket? How bad was it this time?" Regina watched as he put a hand on Emma's forehead briefly before reaching into his pocket and pulling that watch out again. He put two fingers on her wrist and Regina realized he was taking her pulse.

"I'm fine Henry, it passed." He still looked worried but nodded and put the watch away.

"I'll finish the cocoa, you stay here." He said and gave her a quick hug before moving to the kitchen counter.

"He's a good little doctor but he worries too much." Emma said after a bit and Regina sat across from her at the table. "It's been," She ran a hand through her hair while she thought, "just over 8 months and its really taken its toll on him." Emma sighed and frowned. "He's too stressed for a ten year old." Regina nodded and Emma seemed to realize that she just said that to a complete stranger. "Sorry, this isn't your problem." Regina was about to reply when a tall cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick was sat in front of her.

Henry took over conversation then, talking about anything and everything and the two women were happy to just sit and listen to him. Eventually, after the hot chocolate was gone, Emma told him he needed to shower and get ready for bed. He thanked Regina again for the ride and the shoes, though that last part he had whispered quietly so his mom didn't hear, and trotted off down the hall.

"He seems like a good kid." Regina stated once he was out of earshot. Emma hummed in agreement.

She and Emma had moved to the couch and were listening to Christmas music on the television. It was nice, calming, and Regina found that she didn't want to leave. That thought scared her though, she was getting too attached to these strangers. She was getting up to grab her coat when Emma stopped her.

"You could stay, if you'd like. It's cold and late and we've got a spare bedroom. It's the least I could do to thank you for making sure Henry got home safely." Regina was going to say no, she really was, but one look at the fragile looking woman with the beautiful blue-green eyes and she found herself going against her better judgement and accepting the invitation.

_**And I know these shoes will make her smile**_

_**And I Want her to look beautiful**_

Emma smiled and Regina sat back down and they talked about Henry and Boston and Storybrooke, about what it was like to be mayor and what she was going to get for Katheryn in the morning. They sat there and talked about lots of little unimportant things and slowly they fell asleep, Regina tired from her drive and Emma just tired from everything she was going through.

Henry found them a little while later and smiled to himself. He found two blankets and covered each of them up before heading off to bed, happy his mom had made a new friend.


End file.
